McCartney became a hot topic on Twitter over the weekend after a report posted on a hoax news website alleged he had been killed in a "single vehicle car crash on Route 80 between Morristown and Roswell," in New Jersey.

McCartney promptly put his fans at ease after hearing the sick claims and simply tweeted, "The Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

The 25-year-old is the latest to be targeted by online pranksters.

Justin Bieber, dance DJ David Guetta and soccer superstar David Beckham have all been "killed off" in the exact same way, while Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Russell Brand have recently been forced to dismiss erroneous reports about their untimely demise.